The young and young at heart can unleash their inner artist with an interactive coloring book celebrating 125 years of the Wisconsin School of Business. You can color with digital tools or download and print for a hands-on experience.
The page is packed with surprises and subtle nods to WSB and the University of Wisconsin–Madison’s rich history.
Do you recognize these legendary faces, places, and icons?
Mary McNulty
During World War I, McNulty (BA 1917) enrolled in business school at UW–Madison in what was then known as the Course in Commerce. She became the first woman to earn a business degree from UW–Madison. The self-described, “Commerce Girl,” went on to enjoy a 40-year accounting career at Wisconsin Power & Light Co.
Bucky Badger and Bill Sachse (BA ’50)
Did you know the very first Bucky Badger head was commissioned in 1949? Sachse, alongside fellow students Connie Conrad and Bill Sagal (BS ’51), used papier-mâché to create a wearable head for the cheerleading squad.
Statue of Liberty and Flamingos
In 1978, the Pail and Shovel Party swept the Wisconsin Student Association elections. Led by James Mallon (BBA ’79) and Leon Varjian (x’83) the deeply unserious group promised everything from flooding Camp Randall for naval battles to putting an escalator on Bascom Hill. While most of their promises were just for laughs, they pulled off some legendary stunts, like placing a papier-mâché replica of the Statue of Liberty on a frozen Lake Mendota and filling Bascom Hill with more 1,000 flamingos. Their iconic pranks earned them a permanent spot in UW–Madison lore and this coloring page.
Commerce Building
After World War II, the School of Commerce outgrew its second home in Sterling Hall, leading to the construction of the Commerce Building. The building opened in 1955 and served as the school’s home until the move to Grainger Hall in 1993. The building is still in use on campus and is now known as Ingraham Hall.
XO, aka Virtual Exchange
Stuart Keeler’s art piece, Virtual Exchange, combines steel, glass, and a continuous feed of financial information from hundreds of markets around the world. The data skates across a large X and O, seamlessly blending the beauty and precision of art and business.
We Are WSB
This is a tribute to the Wisconsin Naming Partnership—a group of 13 like-minded UW alumni who made an initial $85 million investment to ensure the preservation of the Wisconsin Business School name for at least 20 years. Since then, three more supporters have joined, growing the gift to $105 million. With interest, its total value now exceeds $130 million.
Flowers
Blink and you’ll miss this hat tip to the W-shaped flower bed located a stone’s throw away from Grainger Hall outside the Humanities Building.
Airplane and Globe
UW–Madison offers more than 300 study abroad programs, with more than 30 designed specifically for Business Badgers. Students have the opportunity to travel for an entire semester, over the summer, or even short-term programs during school breaks.
Hard Hat
A major transformation is underway with the Badger Blueprint, a multi-year initiative reshaping 31,000 square feet of Grainger Hall into modern learning and gathering spaces. Redesigned classrooms, study areas, and employee workspaces are already complete, and construction on new community, dining, and event spaces on the first floor kicks off this fall.
AI in Action
WSB is all in on artificial intelligence. This year, the school launched the AI Hub for Business, providing the practical knowledge, industry connections, and academic expertise, learners and organizations need to lead in this rapidly changing landscape.
Don’t forget to showcase your coloring prowess on social media with the hashtag #WSB125.
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